Quiz: Howstuffworks

How High Can You Score on This Football Quiz?

Gavin Thagard

Image: David Madison/DigitalVision/Getty Images

About This Quiz

The fall season has swept in, and you know it's time to get out the grill, grab a few drinks, and watch some football on the weekends. Are you prepared for the new season? Are you ready to talk trash to opposing fan bases? You'd better make sure you know your football before you start with the fiery comments, so here's a quiz where you can test that football knowledge!

Football is undoubtedly one of the most popular sports in the United States. Thousands of people play it each year, and even more than that watch the games every week. If a fan tried hard enough, they could watch a football game every day of the week during the fall, and it wouldn't be time wasted. Football is a chess match after all, and it provides plenty of entertainment for viewers.

If you're a fan of the sport, get back in the football mood with this quiz. This quiz is filled with some of the hardest questions in the game, so you'll really have to dig deep to find the answers to many of these questions. For the most loyal football fans, though, it shouldn't be too hard.

When you're ready, see if you can get a winning score on this football quiz!

It's heads or tails. The first coin flip in a Super Bowl occurred on January 15, 1967. The game pitted the Green Bay Packers against the Kansas City Chiefs. How do you determine who gets the ball first to start a football game?

Coin toss

Tip-off​

Home team chooses

Away team chooses

Indeed!

It's at the end of the field. Throwing the football, Peyton Manning helped a slew of receivers reach the end zone 539 times while in the NFL. His final two touchdown passes came against the New England Patriots in the 2015 AFC Championship. What is the area where a player scores called?

Score zone

Scoring square

End zone

Goal zone

Did you know that?

You need a goal line stand. No player crossed the goal line more during his career than Jerry Rice. Rice, a star receiver primarily for the 49ers, scored 208 touchdowns over the course of his career. What line divides the end zone from the field of play?

Field line

Goal line

Red line

Score line

Really?

You need a kicker. Due to the NFL's history with brain trauma, kickoffs have been scrutinized in recent years because of the violent blows that often occur during the play. The NFL has stuck to tradition, however, despite the calls to end kickoffs altogether. Once it's decided who gets the ball first, how does a football game start?

Jump-off

Runoff​

Pre-snap

Kickoff

Really?

It touches the back of the field. The longest possible kickoff return in a football game is 109 yards. As a rookie, Cordarrell Patterson carried one back 109 yards for the Vikings in 2013. What happens if the ball goes out of the end zone on a kickoff?

Out of bounds

Re-kick

Safety

Touchback

Did you know that?

It rhymes with "ritz." cx revolutionized the linebacker position in the '80s with his ability to blitz the quarterback. Opposing teams feared Taylor because they never knew where he was coming from. What is it called when a linebacker rushes the quarterback?

A stunt

A stint

A blitz

A robber

Did you know that?

It's 300 feet. The first 99-yard play was thrown by Frank Filchock in 1939. Andy Farkas was on the receiving end of the pass, which he carried for 90 of the 99 yards. How long is a football field, not including the end zones?

80 yards

100 yards

120 yards

150 yards

Really?

They're in the middle. The center is typically viewed as the vocal leader of the offensive line. Aside from the quarterback, the center is often responsible for calling out defensive lineups. Which player snaps the football to begin a play?

Center

Guard

Tackle

Tight end

Did you know that?

It's a prime number. The '85 Bears are often believed to have had the greatest 11 players to ever line up on the defensive side of the ball. That defense was led by stars like Mike Singletary, William Perry, and Dave Duerson. How many players are allowed on one side of the ball?

Eight

10

11

12

Is that true?

The scrimmage starts there. Some defenses will crowd the line of scrimmage and force an offense to beat them deep. This aggressive style of play usually results in a big play for either the defense or the offense. What line separates the offense from the defense before a play?

Line of scrimmage

Line of play

Start line

Field line

Indeed!

It's the highest number. Football numbers were limited to certain players because referees had a hard time determining which offensive players were eligible to run routes. Typically, quarterbacks choose numbers 19 or below. Which number can a quarterback NOT wear?

2

10

19

55

Indeed!

It rhymes with "mix." Randy Moss caught an NFL record 23 touchdown passes while playing with the Patriots in the 2007 season. That year, the Patriots went undefeated during the regular season before losing to the Giants in the Super Bowl. How many points is a touchdown worth?

3

6

7

10

Who knew?

It's the Roman numeral X. The Wing-T Offense is a style of play that typically picks up a few yards at a time while keeping the chains moving. This style of offense doesn't usually result in big plays, but it can demoralize a defense when first downs are consistently gained. A first down without any penalties is how long?

5 yards

10 yards

12 yards

15 yards

Really?

You play each down. Some offenses try to use as little of the play clock as possible by going no-huddle throughout the game. The Bills made this style of play popular in the NFL in the late '80s and early '90s. The ball must be snapped before what runs out?

Time clock

Running clock

Buzzer

Play clock

Did you know that?

It's the sides of a rectangle. Tom Brady has mastered the art of the short pass, which usually results in a first down every few plays. He has found great success with targets like Wes Welker and Julian Edelman. How many downs does an offense get to gain a first down?

Two

Three

Four

Five

Did you know that?

It rhymes with "runt." In 1969, Steve O'Neal kicked the longest punt in NFL history. The ball went 98 yards from one side's 1-yard line to the 1-yard line on the opposing side. What can an offense do on fourth down to change field position?

Punt

Turn the ball over

Call a timeout

Take a safety

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It's a prime number. When three receivers line up on one side of the field, it is known as a trips formation. When there isn't a running back in the backfield, it's known as an empty set. How many offensive players must line up on the line of scrimmage?

Four

Six

Seven

Nine

Who knew?

It's a weapon. The shotgun formation has taken over college football. Some quarterbacks are so used to taking the snap from the shotgun formation that they struggle when they are put under center, which is a major concern when they get to the pros. What's it called when the quarterback lines up a few yards behind the center?

I formation

Shotgun formation

Ace formation

Unbalanced formation

Indeed!

It rhymes with "rumbles." No player has fumbled more than five times in a single NFL game. Matthew Stafford was the last player to drop the ball on the ground five times in the same game. He did it in 2013 while playing for the Lions. A running back who drops the ball on the ground during a play does what?

Fumbles

Slips

Botches

Errors

Is that true?

It's an additional chance to score. To make the extra point more important, the NFL moved the spot back to the 15-yard line in 2015. The move has resulted in significantly more misses since then. What happens immediately after a touchdown is scored?

Kickoff

Turnover

Change of field

Extra point

Indeed!

You have one on your phone. When it comes to receiving, David Johnson has proven himself to be a valuable asset out of the backfield for the Arizona Cardinals. In only his fourth season in the NFL, Johnson already has more than 1,700 receiving yards. What do you call a pass to a receiver who has blockers in front of him?

Slant pass

Swing pass

Curl pass

Screen pass

Is that true?

It's the sides of a triangle. In 2013, Matt Prater kicked an NFL record 64-yard field goal. Prior to the new record, a 63-yard field goal was the longest in NFL history. How many points is a field goal worth?

3

4

5

6

Indeed!

It's five times three. The NFL uses a two-minute warning before the end of each half, which prompts the stopping of the clock. In college football, there is no two-minute warning. How long is an NFL quarter?

10 minutes

12 minutes

15 minutes

18 minutes

Is that true?

There are two safeties. The Tampa 2 defense is a widely used variation of the Cover 2. It was popularized by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the late '90s and early '00s. What's it called when only safeties cover the deep part of the field?

Cover blue

Cover 2

Cover heavy

Cover light

Is that true?

You put potatoes in one. Michael Strahan had one of the greatest individual seasons as a defensive end for the New York Giants in 2001. That year, he set an NFL single-season record when he racked up 22.5 sacks. What stat does a defender get when he tackles the quarterback behind the line of scrimmage?

Safety

Cover

Sack

Rip

Did you know that?

It's not true. CenturyLink Field is home to the Seattle Seahawks. The stadium is known as "The Home of the 12th Man" because of the crowd noise level which often results in offensive penalties for the opposing team. What happens if an offensive lineman moves before the ball is snapped?

Delay of game

False start

Jumping

Entering the neutral zone

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It's the sides of a square. One of the most important members of a 3-4 defense is the defensive tackle. Defensive tackles are responsible for stuffing the middle by taking on multiple blockers to free zones for other players. How many linebackers are in a traditional 3-4 defense?

One

Two

Three

Four

Did you know that?

It was caught before the reception. In the NFL, no player has grabbed more than four interceptions in a single game. The most recent occurrence was in 2010 when the Redskins' DeAngelo Hall intercepted four passes from Bears quarterback Jay Cutler. What's it called when the defense catches a pass intended for a receiver?

Interception

Reception

Take away

Steal

Is that true?

It's a quarter of the field. In 2011, the NFL moved the touchback spot from the 20-yard line to the 25-yard line. The league made the move to discourage return men from taking the ball out of the end zone. In the NFL, where is the ball spotted​ after a touchback?

20-yard line

25-yard line

30-yard line

50-yard line

Really?

It's not unsafe. The Denver Broncos took a safety on the first play from scrimmage in Super Bowl 50. The safety came after the center snapped the ball over Peyton Manning's head and into the end zone. What happens if a quarterback is tackled into his own end zone?

Loss of down

Defensive touchdown

Touchback

Safety

Indeed!

It's two times five. Penalties hold a team back in a game and can often result in a loss. However, that wasn't the case in 1999 when the Titans managed to beat the Ravens despite being penalized 15 times for a total of 212 yards. How many yards does a holding penalty cost an offense?

5 yards

8 yards

10 yards

15 yards

Who knew?

They read the defensive end. Robert Griffin III was drafted out of Baylor by the Washington Redskins in 2012. In his first year, he was primarily used as a zone read quarterback, but injuries caught up to him, forcing Griffin to change his style. What is a run play where the quarterback has the option to either hand it off or run it himself?

Zone read

Dive

Sweep

Power

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They are in the corner. Deion Sanders was one of the greatest cornerbacks in the history of the league. An athletic anomaly, Sanders also played baseball where he appeared in a World Series. He's the only person to ever play in both a Super Bowl and a World Series. Which defensive position is primarily responsible for covering receivers?

Defensive end

Outside linebacker​

Inside linebacker

Cornerback

Indeed!

The game was put on hold. The play clock is a valuable asset to a quarterback. Peyton Manning would use the time to move players around and change the play call according to what the defense was doing. What penalty is called if the play clock runs out before the ball is snapped?

Delay of game

False start

Late call

Unsportsmanlike​ conduct

Is that true?

It's a fifth of the field. In 2017, the Jacksonville Jaguars had the highest scoring percentage in the red zone out of any team in the NFL. They finished the season scoring nearly 69 percent of the time in the red zone. Where does the red zone start on a football field?

10-yard line

15-yard line

20-yard line

25-yard line

Is that true?

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